A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left.
Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

How not to promote trade unionism

Over the years I have had quite a bit of success recruiting people to trade unions - the TGWU when I was a member of that in the '90s and latterly Amicus. Some of those people subsequently had support from the union in redundancy and other employment situations that made a real financial difference to the outcome of negotiations with their employer, and moral and legal support when they felt isolated and needed some solidarity.

The main obstacle I have found in persuading people of the value of being in a union is the perception that they will be endorsing people behaving like this:

Thankyou Bob Crow for another stupid, ignorant and childish blow to the reputation of trade unionism. With General Secretaries like Crow, who needs union-busting bosses?

5 Comments:

Back in the days when Jimmy Knapp was Gen Sec it was a very sensible and moderate union that just got on with protecting its members' rights. Then the Scargillites and other assorted ultra lefts took over.

Trade Unions still have an important role to play in representing members and negotiating on their behalf. Unfortunately the likes of Crow have given Trade Unions a bad name through their silly childish antics along with their association with the loony left fringes. Of course the war is just the latest convenient excuse for them, if it was up to them Saddam Hussain would still be in power ands commiting human rights abuses on a massive scale and the Taliban would be assisting Al-Qaeda in terrorist operations. If you want to look at reasons why Trade Union membership has declined, Crow is the ideal role model.

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About Me

Labour Party activist since 1988 - firmly on the moderate wing of the party. Member of Labour’s NEC 2010-2012. National Secretary of Labour Students 1995-6. Parliamentary candidate for Aldershot (2001) and Castle Point (2005). Hackney Councillor (Chatham Ward) 2002-2014, Labour Group Chief Whip 2002-09, Chair of Health Scrutiny 2010-2014. Supporter of Europe, NATO/nuclear deterrence, Israel, electoral reform. Guardian reader. Dad. Oxford resident. Unite union member. Employment history as a Labour Party Organiser, Local Government Political Assistant, Director at a Public Affairs company. All views expressed in a personal capacity. The rest will become evident from reading the blog.